[sunflower_info]

Just wanted to share this everyone. I still need to submit my claim to Guinness World Records, but the Mercer County, New Jersey Weights and Measured Dept. measured my plant on Monday at 23 feet 2 inches, breaking the current world record of 15 feet 1 inch. If Guinness accepts the submission, then it will be my first world record.
I hope to be able to collect a large amount of seeds. If I do, let me know if you are really interested in growing these.

FOX Philadelphia News Video:
FOX Philadelphia News Video


Trentonian News Article:
Trentonian News Article

[crosseyedsheep]

Congratulations, 8' taller than the previous record is some achievement.
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Xeyedsheep

[GardenMonster]

This is a coppy of the official measure
this plant grown in NY.
BY Jesse Eldrid
contactJesse@
myspace/GardenMonster



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GardenMonster NY

[Joaney]

WOW well done. That is some achievment.

[BlackBird]

[sunflower_info]

I just received my GWR certificate this weekend

[GardenMonster]

New York state gardener/farmer Jesse Eldrid specializes in growing heavy, tall, and large vegetables and annual plants. On October 25th, 2007, after a long summer of working, watching, and waiting, he finally contacted county officials in order to obtain a legitimate measurement of the Amaranthus Australis plant he had been growing since the beginning of the year. When Jesse contacted the local bureau of weights and measures, he knew that he had a record-breaking plant -- but he didn't know that his plant would be almost twelve feet (11.9 taller than the the goal he had set for himself in the existing record: the official measurement of the plant, he would learn that afternoon, was 27'10".
In the early Spring months of 2007, Jesse received several amaranth seeds from the USDA NCRPIS (United States Department of Agriculture, North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station). Although one wouldn't think it from the size of the mature plant, Amaranthus seeds themselves are actually quite small (smaller than the head of a pin.) Germinating them was fairly difficult, however. Once he managed to get a handful of young plants growing well, he knew one of them was destined to be huge. On May 15th, when Jesse transplanted the young seedlings outside, they started growing rapidly. The plant that grew the fastest also happened to have the largest trunk (measuring almost five feet around) which may have helped the plant grow significantly taller than normal. (An average "trunk" would have a five to eight inch circumference.)
As the temperatures rose, the plant grew faster and faster. Competition, too, was on the rise. In Spring, Jesse shared a small number of cuttings among friends, and their plants had begun to take on considerable height at around this time, as well. As it turned out, many of these cuttings exceeded the 15' benchmark, some even stretched to 20+ feet.
In the early autumn, near the end of the amaranth's life cycle, Jesse's record-breaking plant was still growing several feet per day. Just before the official measurement, the plant also began producing flowers which also contributed to the overall height of the amaranth. Another factor contributing to the overwhelming size of the plant was the amount of water it received per day -- approximately 30 gallons per plant, per day.
In order to give the plant extra support (and to determine the benchmark for the old record) Jesse built a fifteen foot tall trellis for the amaranth. It didn't take long for the plant to outgrow it, though. By the middle of August, it was no longer possible to measure the plant with a ladder alone. (For the official measurement in October, professional arborists were called in, and a bucket-truck was necessary to get a measurement from the very top of the plant.)
Jesse Eldrid has been growing unusual plants for many years, and gardening is a life-long obsession for him. In the future, he plans on challenging the millet, sorghum, and historic corn records (for height.) He also intends, one day, to beat his own amaranth record. By growing crops such as these, Jesse hopes to raise awareness about the natural world and the potential for alternative energy.
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GardenMonster NY

[BlackBird]

laus in proprio ore sordescit
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Hi, my name is Blackbird and I am trying to raise awareness about irishgardeners.com
I need more gardeners to talk to.
So if you like the site or my ramblings please link to it.

Gardening Ireland, one plant at a time.

[GardenMonster]

It comes down to who grew the bigger plant, not who brought in the bigger media or the better cameras. It's about gardening.
I had twelve plants over 23' tall. Most of Brian's plants were *clones* of my certified 27'10" plant. He has left that information out of all of his articles, and posted up elsewhere that my plant is a "bigfoot" type of claim. Not only does he know better -- but he should have *acted* better, too. It's a much longer story than this, and it would probably make a good book. Maybe Brian would be interested in helping me write it??
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GardenMonster NY

[verge]

Sunflower info and gardenmonster, I myself have no interest in growing monster plants. In fact I find them to be an aberration and the monster fruit and veg to be quite tastless. On this issue maybe both of you could convince me otherwise
But what I would really like to see on this thread is both your top tips for growing large plants. I believe that would be way more constructive than the "my dad could beat up your dad" posts so far.

[GardenMonster]

This is old news but Jesse's certified Amaranth plant was 5 FEET taller then the NJ "gwr" plant
look out for more coming soon

[verge]

I'm locking this topic as it adds nothing, and has basically become "Pimp my monster plant".
I can't wait for the pay per view title bout.